Fate
by JD-v2
Summary: A fateful meeting outside the movie theatre brought Ethan Mars and Lauren Winter together.A set up for the perfect romance or a recipe for tragedy? You know what they say about fate, the consequences cannot be stopped. Bare with me with the odd pairing..


Lauren Winter, loving mother, victim of the Origami Killer, recently widowed, prostitute. Life never seemed to have given her much. Actually, life seems to have the tendency to take away things she has. So she should of expected this of all things.

Currently, she is outside of the movie theatre. She thought watching a movie would help her clear her head of what the Private Investigator, Scots Shemmy or Chevy, said to her a few nights ago. It was sunny when she got in. Heavy rain falling when the movie ended. Despite rain being frequent in this gray metropolis, it skipped her mind to bring an umbrella.

She has two options, wait the rain out, maybe watch another movie. Or go on ahead, ignoring the rain. The former being bad since she doesn't really have the money for another flick, and the Latter will get her sick.

Yes, somewhere in her life, Lauren must of pisst off someone up in the dark rainy sky. Lauren sighed as she waited outside the theatre, using the entrance hall as shelter from the rain.

"Hey miss, need an umbrella?"

…

"huh?" was all Lauren can say…

Here she was brooding about heavy rain and how life was unfair, and like from some stupid romance story, here comes some stranger offering her an umbrella.

"What, so prince charming is coming to my rescue?" Lauren scoffed as she started walking out

"Hey, I'm just trying to be nice…." The man replied

"No thanks, I don't need your…" Lauren paused as she sees the rain fall harder and the wind picking up speed….

Lauren hated the idea, but it seems like she has no other options. Reluctantly she accepted the man's, which she decided to call "prince charming" for the duration of the escort, offer.

Under the safety of the stranger's umbrella as he led her…somewhere she didn't know. She can't help but feel the need to plan. If "prince charming" was going to try something, he's dead. If he wants to rape her, he better pay. Not like she cared anyway…having sex for money was her living. Not feeling too comfortable with the silence, Lauren decided to start a conversation.

"So, does prince charming always pick up random helpless women?"

"What? I'm just trying to be a good Samaritan here…"

" Why? If it's sex, you don't need to roman…"

"It's nothing like that, believe me!"

Lauren scoffed at his statement, like she hasn't heard that before.

" I just think no one deserves to walk through this storm without some kind of protection…besides I'm kind of new to the neighborhood and I guess I'm trying to get to know the surrounding people."

This peaked Lauren's interest

"new to the neighborhood? Where were you before? Camelot?"

The man sighed. "I used to live up-town, had a house, a beautiful wife, two children…then, well…"

"A dragon came and burned it down?" Lauren is hating this stranger by every word he said.

She never had a lot in her life, and what she did have was taken away. She doesn't need some rich pompous moron to remind her what the good side is like. She was sure if it wasn't raining she would of left the guy right then and there…

"No…me, I screwed it all up…"

This caught Lauren off guard…so much for "prince charming" showing off his status

"My son died because I wasn't doing a good job looking after him. My wife divorced me and got full custody of the house. I couldn't continue doing my job because of the loss of my son…and…"

Lauren remembered what it felt like when her son died. All her hatred for this man went away faster than the rain falling. The man continued…

"my other son seems so distant now…he enjoys staying with his mother more. I think he blames me for the death of his brother…"

"did you ask?" Lauren feels sorry for this man now. Death of a son is one thing, but your child hating you is another. This stranger had both.

"I could never do that, the answer is kind of obvious by the way he acts around me…I don't need to hear it coming out of his mouth."

"I'm sorry to hear that…"

She didn't know where to begin. At first she was prejudging this stranger, thinking he was trying to rape her or something. Next she thought he was bragging about his status. But really, he is just trying to cope with recent events. Lauren never had anything, but this man had it all then lost all of it.

"No no, I'm sorry for dragging you into my drama. I guess I just needed to let it out. The therapist I'm seeing isn't really doing much about it"

Ok maybe he didn't lose all of it if he can afford a therapist… but still, Lauren felt like she needed to help him somehow. He did after all offered to escort her…wait where was he taking her?

"Well this is my house….here, please bring it back when you can" The man said as he handed the umbrella to her. As he walked towards his front porch

Lauren was a loss of words. He was willing to trust her with his umbrella. Granted it is just a simple umbrella, but that was the first time someone trusted her with anything. Not even her husband would trust her with the money they made. Yet here this man comes trusting random strangers with generic umbrellas. She felt like she needed to give something in return.

"Strawberry Chewies!!" Lauren yelled

"Pardon?!"

"Give your son Strawberry Chewies! My son liked them and tends to open up to me when I give him some!! Plus they're cheap and delicious!"

"Oh….thanks! I'll see if Shaun likes them!"

"I'm Lauren by the way! Lauren Winters! What's yours?!"

"Ethan Mars!"

* * *

A/N: This is a story idea I got when someone tried to make a case about an Ethan-Lauren pairing. They were both vicitms of the OK, both wanted to find the killer and.... ahh you'll find out as the story goes on. This won't be a particularly long story. Hope you keep track, comment, and most importantly enjoy my take on this rather "that doesn't make any sense" romance....


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